Bill Dray
Gunggari peoples of the Maranoa River, South West Queensland

Sergeant
Instrument Fitter
Royal Australian Air Force
Mar 74 – Oct 87 (13.5 years)

Flight Lieutenant (AAFC)
Officer of Cadets
Australian Air Force Cadets
1994 – 2024 (30 Years)

Sergeant
Indigenous Liaison Officer
51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment
Regional Force Surveillance Group
Australian Army Reserve
2020 – 2023 (3 Years) 


Medals
Australian Defence Medal
Australian Cadet Forces Service Medal 

 

My Dad, Arthur Saunders, served with his brothers in PNG in WWII. Another relative, Uncle Ted, served in Vietnam. Accordingly, it was natural that I would join the military. I was born in Mitchell, Queensland. I moved to the big smoke of Brisbane at the age of 15 after completing the Junior Certificate. After seeing a Phantom jet fly over one day, I was inspired to join the RAAF to fly those very jets. However, my eyesight was not 100% in seeing the colours of red and green which put a stop to my flying ambitions. The Air Force took me in as an Instrument Fitter. I served at No. 486 Squadron (486SQN) at Richmond, New South Wales. It was here I repaired the instruments, flight directors, compasses, oxygen systems and autopilots of the C130 Hercules aircraft.

During my posting to 486SQN, I was assigned to repairing the flight simulators, which eventuated in a posting to New York, USA with my wife Di. What a great time!

After discharging in 1987, we relocated to Innisfail Far North Queensland. It was here I joined the Air Cadets as an instructor of cadets. It was a very satisfying experience to watch the youth of Innisfail grow and develop into the young leaders they were to become. Both of our children joined cadets and progressed on to the military. I felt a need to contribute back to our defence comrades and accordingly became the President of the Innisfail RSL, which I enjoyed for 5 years. I also needed a bit more… so I joined our local Army Reserve unit (51st Far North Queensland Regiment) as a Defence Liaison Officer with the rank of Sergeant. Here I mentored the local Indigenous recruits to assist with their new routines and expectations.

Aside from working with the military, I was pleased to be appointed as a Director on the board of our local Indigenous health entity, Mamu Health Service.

As a proud Gunggari man, the Defence Force has provided wonderful opportunities and memories for me.